1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel method of slicing fresh fruits and vegetables. More particularly, it relates to slicing fresh fruits and vegetables utilizing a high pressure fluid jet to minimize tissue damage along the cut.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of fluid jets as a means of cutting, drilling or abrading various materials has long been known in the art. For example, there is the practice of hydraulic mining where a high pressure fluid jet is used to cut through rock formations, coal formations or the like. Representative of the prior art in this field is exemplified by the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 878,208 to Kirschniobe, U.S. Pat. No. 2,018,926 to Schroepfer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,736 to Anderson among many others.
Additionally, various devices are known for producing very high velocity pulsed liquid jets. One of the reasons for providing the pulsed jet is that relatively high pressures are obtainable than would otherwise be possible with comparable apparatus for steady state flow. Typical of such devices are those shown in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,966 to Beck for use in rock excavation, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,256 to Hall, et al. for use in cutting such materials as rock, metal, concrete and wood.
In recent years, there has been development work in high pressure intensifiers capable of producing a substantially constant discharge of a fluid jet stream at velocities in the order of 1,200 feet per second and substantially greater. Such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,795. One of the practical applications of such a device is in jet cutting, in which a small diameter fluid jet (e.g. having a diameter between several hundredth to as small as several thousandths of an inch) is used to cut a relatively narrow kerf in a variety of materials, such as wood, fabric, sandstone, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,515 to Pfasienski, et al. describe a method for cutting gypsum board with a high pressure and high velocity fluid cutting jet.
The cutting of fresh fruits and vegetables is generally disclosed in the prior art by several references. For instance, U.S Pat. No. 4,157,681 to Ahessun, et al. describe the use of a machine for paring fruits and vegetables. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,475,142 to Kane and 2,437,637 to Bridge describe similar type machines for paring and slicing different fruits and vegetables.
While the art has provided several methods of slicing or paring fresh fruits and vegetables as well as many uses for a high pressure fluid jet, the need still exists for a method of slicing fresh fruits and vegetables that minimizes extensive tissue damage caused by compression and tearing.
Accordingly, it is one object the present invention to utilize a high pressure fluid jet to slice fresh fruits and vegetables.
Another object of the present invention is to prolong the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables by minimizing excessive tissue damage caused by conventional slicing techniques.
A further object of this invention is to provide fresh fruits and vegetables in a ready-to-eat pieces and to improve the shelf life of the fresh fruits and vegetables.
The achievement of these and other objects will be apparent from the following description of the subject invention.